Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Period. The end. My dream life is to be surrounded by tons of cats and kittens all day long.

Yes~ I am the self proclaimed “crazy cat lady” and proud of it!

Unfortunately I only have 2 cats since my little old man Winklebean would never allow my attention to be on anyone else but him, so in order to fulfill my need for cats~ I decided; “why not make CAT COOKIES!?”

WinklebeanSophie

This new recipe for Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies is the purrfect (haha get it? Purrfect!) way to satisfy both your cravings for cats and cookies!

But don’t be put off, if you have no interest in cats at all, have no fear!

Ok enough about my gushing over the rolling pins, let me get to these cookies!

Omg if you have never used lavender in your baking, you are in for a treat!

Paired with lemon, these little tea cookies are so delicate, slightly crispy but tender at the same time.

Again, if you are not interested in the imprinting with the specialty rolling pin, that is no problem~ these cookies do nicely with a light sprinkling of granulated sugar just before baking and you have yourself a lovely tea time snack.

I of course went the extra mile with a light coating of violet fondant and a royal icing decor, but you can leave that off as well. (although I loved the taste with that little extra something!)

I think it really make those cats “pop” and I love the final look!

So if it is just a simple tea cookie you are after or a gift idea to “wow” that person on your list who already has everything~ This recipe is for you!

In the video you will see I am using my cube fondant as a light covering to get those cats to really stand out ~ but a very thinned out royal icing will work just as well.

Note about lavender~ be sure to get culinary grade lavender. Not lavender for decorations or potpourri, there is a difference!

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, about 4- 5 minutes.

Add the ground lavender and lemon zest

Combine the extracts with the egg white and add to the creaming butter/sugar mixture. Be sure to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure an even mix

Next sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and add it all at once to the creamed mixture. Mix just until it is all combined.

Wrap this dough disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before using or you can store it for up to 1 week wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for 2 months.

The dough will seem dry and crumbly when you take it out to roll it, this is normal. Simply break it up and knead it back together to a pliable rolling consistency.

Roll out the dough to ½" thick with a regular rolling pin, then switch to the imprinted rolling pin and roll firmly to make the impression to ¼" or ⅛" thick

Cut shapes and sizes as desired

Transfer cookie cutouts to a parchment line sheet pan and bake in preheated to 350° F oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

It is difficult to say how long exactly - as I do not know what shapes you are cutting or to what thickness you desire. Watch the color, and as they start to turn golden browned they are done!

Mix the royal icing to a very thin consistency for icing the tops of the cookies enough to show the impressions, then thicken the remaining with more confectioners sugar and whip to a pipe-able consistency for the borders. I used the #21 Ateco tip found in the Gretchen's Bakery essentials cake decorating kit

I cant wait to try them my work mates are always asking me for something new they are going to love these thanks gretchen and i also love cats dogs you name it i have a ginger Tom called Peto cute little guy and he is my little naughty boy lol! have a good weekend .

Gretchen, first of all let me say thank you for all you do for all of us. I appreciate you very much. Now, the question. I am not a lavender fan. What do you suggest I substitute for the lavender? Thanks. By the way, love the cats.

Thanks to my favorite YouTube baker I now have a feature story for my newsletter readers! I grow lavender for a living…unfortunately it’s not the culinary variety but I know where to find that! Thanks for a great recipe…may I use it and a link to your website in my newsletter?